Why I love my trainer

I love my trainer. Amanda has been an inspiration to me since I first started training with her. She is a  wonderful personal trainer, a dynamite yoga teacher, a former boxing champion, and an awesome person.

The best part about a good trainer is that they don't force you to do things, they empower you! That's how I feel after every session with Amanda: empowered. I feel empowered to make good food choices, to get into the gym with a plan, and to achieve what I've been convinced I'm capable of achieving. Also, working out while chatting with her is always the best part of the week!

see? boxing champ!

Here are some of the things that she has helped me to achieve:

• I can run! Before I started training with Amanda, the idea of running a single mile (yup, 1 mile) seemed impossible. Now, I can run 6 miles in less than an hour, and I've started running races... she's helping me train for a big one in October!!
• I lost 10 pounds (and gained some back in muscle) and learned to love exercise for exercise, rather than only as a necessary evil required to get/stay thin.
• I'm strong! Getting strong makes me love and appreciate my body so much more.
• I eat so much healthier both because of Amanda's encouragement and check-ins, and also because of the fact that exercising more made me more aware of how much better I felt when I ate well.
• I have someone who I feel accountable to about making healthy choices, besides myself
• I've gained a friend :)

I found Amanda by seeing her training someone in my old building's gym. She seemed like exactly what I wanted in a trainer -- someone who wouldn't let you slack but would push you with positivity, not negativity. She will kick your ass, but she'll do it with a gigantic smile that's contagious.

and a terrific yoga instructor!

Working with a trainer has been an investment in my health, and I honestly think it's paid off ten times over. I would absolutely urge anyone to try to fit working with a trainer into their budget, especially if they're new to working out. Training with Amanda is one of the best investments and decisions I've made!